Kid Smarts
by Psyche Eros
Summary: It's been sixteen years since Tamaki went to France with Lady Eclair. He hasn't been in touch with the Host Club since. Now he's back in Japan, and he's lost in regrets and doubt until he bumps into two 6 year-olds who show him the way out.


**A/N#1: I personally think that this story has _kawaii_ points. :P**

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Tamaki waited for his bags by the carousel, pondering his thoughts. It felt strange to be back in Japan after all these years… But he couldn't take Éclair anymore. He had married her when she told him that she had his mother, and that was the only reason. His grandmother had long since passed away, and his father had passed Ouran Academy to him. He was free to do as he pleased, and the first thing he did was leave Éclair. She wasn't entirely happy with him anyway, after she realized that he didn't have feelings for her at all. Tamaki could have sworn that she was glad to see him go.

Going home felt like a great idea until the plane actually landed. His thoughts crossed back to the Host Club; how were they? Then he stopped. There was no Host Club anymore. That was sixteen years ago. Since he had been in France, he hadn't had any connection with them. He had no idea how their lives were going, though he was certain that they were ten times better off than him.

Should he even try getting in touch with them? How would they even react?

His brooding was cut off when he felt two things collide with him and heard voices cry out in unison.

"Ow!"

He looked down to the ground. "I'm so sorry, here let me help you."

He plucked the two children up and watched the two cutely dressed girls dust themselves. When they straightened up, Tamaki was amazed. They both had auburn locks that swept their shoulders and a pair of chocolate eyes. _Twins, _he noted. But what got him were their expressions.

One girl was wearing a little pout on her face, one hand on her hip and the other held by her twin, who was staring up at him observantly. The looks on their faces were so distinctively familiar that he had to suppress a shudder.

"Are you two lost?" Tamaki asked, kneeling down to their face level.

"Yes," one replied. "But you look like you've lost something too, mister."

"Now what makes you think that, princess?"

"You were pacing around and your eyes were looking for something," said the other.

"You two must be twins, huh? How old are you?"

"Six," was the chorused reply.

"Six years old and walking around the airport on your own?"

"No, we're supposed to be with our parents and their friends, waiting for someone," said one.

"But we got bored," the other added.

Tamaki smiled. "Well, maybe I can help you find your parents. What do you say?"

The two just nodded. After Tamaki had retrieved his luggage, they set off.

"So what are your names?"

"Tsukiyo and Taiyou," they replied simultaneously.

"Which one is which?"

They gave identical grins, their eyes lighting up with mischief. "Can't you tell?"

The blonde looked at them, puzzled, and then gave up. "Let's not play games. Your parents are worried about you and I have somewhere to be."

"You're no fun," one whined. She pulled something out of her pocket and handed it out to him. "Want some gum? It's banana-flavored! Bananas always inspire us to have fun."

"Uh, no thank you."

She shrugged and gave a strip to her sister.

"Hey mister, you look sad," said the quieter one of the two after a while. "Aren't you happy to be back from wherever it is you came from? Where _did _you come from?"

He didn't know why it was so easy to reply, or why he was even replying, but he did.

"France."

"So aren't you happy to be back from France?"

"I don't know if I should be."

"Why not?"

"Because I made a mistake."

"What kind of mistake?"

"A big one," he sighed. "Sixteen years ago."

"You're sad because of something that happened sixteen years ago? But mister, that's ancient history."

"What did you do?" one of them asked.

Tamaki looked into their inquisitive eyes. It struck him, how much those eyes resembled hers…

"I left my best friends."

Of course, the question that came next was "Why?"

"Because it was the only way I could prove myself. And it was the only way to see my mother again."

One girl wrinkled her nose. "Wow, that was _really_ selfish of you."

"And now you're scared that they're mad, huh?" her sister asked.

"Yes, I guess I am."

"But it's been a while. They've probably forgiven you."

Tamaki grimaced. "I hope so. Though knowing some of them, they probably still hold a grudge."

"They might be so mad that they moved on with their lives and forgot about you," one suggested with a smirk.

"They might have."

"My sister was only kidding, mister."

"But what she said might actually be true."

The twins rolled their eyes at each other. "Mister, you're being silly. Didn't you just say they were your best friends?"

"Yes…"

"Best friends never hold grudges. That's why they're called best friends!"

Tamaki was a little shocked, but he felt a little lighter inside. So far, the children were making more sense than he ever had in his life. "I hope you're right."

"Don't worry, mister. We always are."

"Oh really?"

"Wanna make a bet? If we're right, then you have to give us two lollipops, 'kay?"

After a couple of minutes, one of the girls was struck with a thought.

"Wait a second! What about your girlfriend?"

Tamaki thought he heard wrong. "What?"

"Your girlfriend sixteen years ago. You left her too?"

"I didn't have one."

The two snorted. "Yeah right," they said simultaneously.

"Mommy and Daddy got together when they were teenagers," one told Tamaki." You probably had a girlfriend back then as well!"

The other nodded. "Besides, you look like the type who had a _lot _of girlfriends."

He laughed a little. "How do you know so much about these things?"

They responded by sticking their tongues out.

"Well," he began. "There was one girl I loved. But she never became my girlfriend."

"You mean it was unrequited love?"

He did a mental double take at that question. _Did these six year-olds just use the term 'unrequited love?'_

"How would you know anything about unrequited love, young lady?"

"Daddy lets us read shoujo manga," they explained. "But we have to do it in secret because Mommy doesn't like it. She says it's full of reverse harem and debauchery."

That had Tamaki at a loss for words.

"So, tell us about you girlfriend, mister," one pressed on.

"I told you she wasn't my… And she probably didn't feel the same way for me."

"Did she tell you that?"

"No…"

"Then how can you say that she doesn't care? She probably did. More than you know."

Tamaki still remembered that day… She had even run after him, asked him to come back… but he had let Éclair stop him… He mentally shook his head and smiled at the fact that he was having this kind of conversation with two young girls, and that they seemed to know more than him. Maybe he should have read shoujo manga too. The stuff was proving to be informational.

"You really think she cared about me?"

"Yeah. But anyways, she's better off with someone else."

He cocked his eyebrow. "Really now? How so?"

"Because no one deserves a person who can't own up to their feelings, do they?"

"Well, that's true…"

They walked silently for a while, Tamaki lost in his thoughts again. He might've actually had a chance with her… But he left. Did that mean he didn't really love her at all? That he loved himself more? _Then in that case, she really _would_ be better off with someone else…_

Then the other girl spoke up. "But you know, mister, you should be happy for her."

"Uh-huh," her sister said. "She's probably living a happy life now."

"And don't feel bad that you didn't end up with her. It only means you weren't made for each other, you know? There's still someone out there. Don't give up, mister!"

The twins made the fight sign with their hands.

"You kids amaze me."

They shrugged. "It's just kid smarts. No big deal."

He chuckled lightly. "You two do know an awful lot for six year olds."

"Yup," one said, puffing up a little proudly. "I want to be just like Mommy when I grow up."

"And I want to be like Daddy!"

Tamaki flashed a smile. "You must have great parents if you want to be like them so badly."

"They're awesome," the two said in unison.

"I'd like to meet them."

Suddenly, the girls faces lit up as if it were their birthday, Christmas, and New Year's Eve all rolled up into one. They ran into the crowd. Tamaki got worried and went after them. "Hey, wait—!"

Then he heard voices.

"There they are! Where have you girls been?"

"Your mother and father are worried sick about you!"

"Everyone was worried."

"I'm calling your parents right now. They're still looking for you."

Tamaki squeezed through the crowd.

"We're sorry Uncle," one of the girls said. "We were just helping a person look for something."

"Yeah!" her twin backed up. "He lost his mind, but we got it back for him. Hey… There he is right there!"

The people surrounding the girls turned to look at him, and Tamaki felt his breath hitch.

There were two tall men, one dark-haired and one blonde. On the other side of the twins stood a bespectacled man who was on his cell phone and a younger, redheaded person who recognized Tamaki.

"Tamaki?" he said uncertainly.

He nodded slowly in reply. A grin spread on the redhead's face.

"Guys, it's Tamaki!"

"Kaoru?"

"You guessed right, boss!" Kaoru replied, playfully using the nickname from long ago.

Tamaki turned to the others. "Mori? Hunny?"

Mori waved. The tall blonde beside him did the same.

"It's Mitsukuni now, Tamaki," he winked. "Aw, never mind. Hunny it is, Tama-chan!"

"You've…grown!" Tamaki exclaimed.

"He still has a terrible sweet tooth though," Mori grunted.

Tamaki stared at the man who had just hung up on his phone and was now looking back at him intently.

"Kyoya! Or is it Doctor Ootori now? You haven't changed a bit, have you?"

"Neither have you," he replied, his lips curling upward a little.

Tamaki beamed at them all. "What are you doing here?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Kaoru asked, but then two more people broke through the crowd.

"Tsukiyo! Taiyou!"

Tamaki had momentarily forgotten about the children until he caught sight of them in the arms of the man and woman who could only be their parents.

"Thank goodness," the man said. "What were you two thinking?"

"Don't ever scare us like that again, girls!" their mother said, kissing them both.

"Mommy, we're fine, really!" one fidgeted, trying to make her mom let go.

"Well we weren't, Tsukiyo," said her father. "I thought we told you two to stay put!"

"We did. You were the ones who kept moving around and lost us."

"Taiyou, none of your cheek! Honestly…"

"Mommy, Daddy, I think your friend is here."

Tamaki finally got their attention, and they straightened up.

The man looked exactly like Kaoru, which meant only one thing…

"Hikaru!"

"Boss!" he exclaimed. "So you've met my kids?"

"Yeah. Twins, eh?"

"Yes, it's too bad that being twins isn't the only thing they inherited from their father," the woman said.

Tamaki's heart skipped a beat when he saw her. Why was he so surprised? Probably because she let her hair grow out, and that she was wearing dress, among other things.

"Haruhi."

"Nice to see you again, sempai," she smiled.

Tamaki laughed lightly in response; partly because she called him sempai, mostly because he realized why the twins' attitude got along with his so easily. They took after their mother. He told her this. "They've been very interesting companions for me," he continued. Then in a slightly scolding tone, he said, "I didn't even know that I had been a grandfather for six whole years."

She chuckled. "Sorry, _daddy._"

After a few more moments Tamaki caught up with his old friends. Kyoya was indeed a doctor now, and he owned the company he always dreamed of; Mori and Hunny were running their own dojos; the Hitachiin twins had taken on their mother's fashion business and Haruhi was an immensely successful lawyer.

"Isn't it great?" Kaoru mused. "All of us actually got to where we wanted to go."

"Yes," Tamaki agreed. "But that doesn't explain what you're all doing here."

Hikaru hit him on the head. "You prat."

"What else do you think we're here for?" Hunny asked happily.

"You," Mori spoke.

"B-but how did you know… my flight—"

"It only took a few phone calls," Kyoya said, adjusting his glasses.

"I don't get it," Tamaki started. "After so long, why would you even care? Don't you hate me?"

They all—Kyoya, a bit reluctantly—pulled him into a group hug; Tamaki felt as if he were back in high school. He cried openly now, a little ashamed that a man his age was acting so childishly. Then again, they were all acting like teens again.

"Why would we hate you?" Haruhi asked when they all parted.

"If we actually had a reason to..." Kyoya began.

"We would have hated you since high school," the Hitachiin brothers finished for him.

Tamaki sniffled a little. "So... You don't hate me...?"

"Of course not," Hunny grinned.

"Never," replied everyone else.

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After a good dinner where they all reminisced, it was time to go home. Tamaki felt like he could just float away. He was home. Back with his friends. And hours ago he was worried about them hating him.

So they had gotten on with their lives after all. But he had never faded from their memories.

And Haruhi… He was over her after all. She was over him. Married to Hikaru. They were happy together. They had the twins... those curiously intelligent children. Tamaki wondered how they got to be so clever. But then again… _"It's just kid smarts."_

He laughed to himself as he began to get into his car.

Then he spied a little note stuck to the window with what suspiciously looked like banana-flavored chewing gum. He read it, got in the car, and asked the chauffeur to stop at a candy store on the way to the Suoh mansion.

He re-read the note, smiling all the while.

Scrawled across the paper in a little kid's handwriting was the message:

"Hey mister. You owe us two lollipops."

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**A/N#2: Taiyou and Tsukiyo just popped into my head one day. Heck, this whole story just popped into my head, so it might not be much. (For those of you interested, Taiyou means 'sun and Tsukiyo means 'moon.') But anyway, I hope you guys like it! Reviews are much appreciated. ^^**


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